• The basic characteristic features of federalism are given as under:

It is vital for a federation to have a codified Constitution to which both federal units and the centre can refer. As a result, the Indian Constitution, which is a written document with 448 Articles and 12 Schedules, meets this essential need.

• The Constitution should be supreme and a source of strength in a federation. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and all laws made by the Union or state governments must adhere to it. If any organ of state violates any provision of the Constitution, the courts of law are there to protect the Constitution's dignity.
• The Constitution of a federation should be strict. This rigidity is particularly wanted by the federating units, so that the centre does not frequently modify the Constitution to suit its own interests. A strict Constitution, as we all know, is one that cannot be readily amended. The Indian Constitution is, for the most part, a rigid document.
• All parts of the Constitution pertaining to federal-state relations can only be modified by a joint action of the State Legislatures and the Union Parliament. Such provisions can only be altered if a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting in Parliament (which must also comprise an absolute majority of the total membership) and at least half of the states agree to it.
• A federation should have a clear division of powers between the union and the states to enact and legislate within their respective spheres of operation. This requirement is also clear in our Constitution.